| October 27, 2006
[Update: NeighborhoodNet incorrectly used the term league when it should have used the term team in several places. This has been corrected.]
The Wizards, a Major League Soccer (MLS) club, is obligated to form
its own youth soccer teams. This helps explain why the soccer fields were never considered as a separate project by themselves. They were only considered as part of an MLS favored business model of soccer fields/stadium and retail. This strengthens the argument that the 24 soccer fields, to be voted on November 7, are not "just for kids" and are associated with the Wizards.
A September 28, 2006 article by Ridge Mahoney, Senior Editor of Soccer America Magazine
states that every Major League Soccer (MLS) Club:
"will be obligated to field teams: in the U-15 (under age 15) and U-17/18 age group."
The league has set out a plan by which six developmental teams, ranging in age from U-14 to U-25, will be run by each MLS team at its own
cost. Also left to the teams is deciding on whether or not the players pay to play."
(please read entire story)
Columbus Crew Has Such Teams
An article by Columbus Crew MLS soccer team explains how this youth team program works for them.
Their youth teams are called: "Crew Juniors" and the article gives questions and answers on how this arrangement works.
Troubling Questions
The Wizards obligation to create their own youth soccer teams raises troubling questions:
- Will Wizard sponsored teams compete for membership with local area clubs and what will be the impact?
- Where will the Wizard youth teams practice? The answer seems obvious: the 24 fields that tax payers are being asked to fund.
Johnson County Park and Recreation has already verified that it will rent a field to the Wizards
for their practice play in inclement weather. Would it also rent fields to the Wizards for
their youth development teams? It looks like taxpayers are really building these fields for the Wizards.
NeighborhoodNet was provided the lead for this story by a reader familiar with the Wizards organization who prefers to remain anonymous.
Thank You
Reported by Shirley Phillips
for NeighborhoodNet
www.nbrhd.net
Return to NeighborhoodNettm home page.
|